The internal combustion engine serves to provide a torque. It possesses several cylinders, in each of which a lengthwise movable piston is arranged. Each cylinder is coordinated with at least one gas exchange valve, which is activated by means of the camshaft. The gas exchange valve may be present, for example, as a gas inlet valve or as a gas outlet valve. Preferably, the internal combustion engine possesses several camshafts, wherein one of the camshafts is provided to activate gas inlet valves and another of the camshafts is provided to activate gas outlet valves of the internal combustion engine. In the following, only one camshaft will be discussed, but the remarks, however, are also applicable to other camshafts of the internal combustion engine.
The camshaft is a component of a valve train. This may be designed as a variable valve train, for which the camshaft is preferably designed as a base camshaft, on which is arranged at least one cam carrier which is movable in the axial direction—with respect to an axis of rotation of the camshaft. Actuators are provided for the movement of the cam carrier. The cam carrier comprises at least two cams, wherein, in a first position of the cam carrier, a first of the cams is disposed to activate the gas exchange valve and in a second position that is different from the first position, a second of the cams is disposed to activate a specific gas exchange valve.
For the mounting of the camshaft with respect to a crankcase and/or a cylinder head of the internal combustion engine, especially for mounting on the cylinder crankcase or the cylinder head, the at least one bearing block is provided. This block is designed, for example, at least in regions, as a single piece and/or integrated materially with the cylinder crankcase or the cylinder head. The bearing block serves for the rotational bearing of the camshaft, thus, in particular, as a radial bearing. In order to furthermore secure the camshaft in the axial direction, the axial bearing element is provided, which engages in an axial bearing groove of the bearing block.
From the prior art, there is known the document DE 10 2012 016 674 A1, for example. This relates to a valve drive of an internal combustion engine having at least one base camshaft, especially one fashioned as a hollow shaft, on which at least one cam carrier is provided, being rotationally fixed and axially movable, wherein the base camshaft has a bearing seat arranged at least in regions in a divisible bearing, especially a plain bearing. In this case, a bearing race is provided, which engages in the radial direction in both a shaft recess of the base camshaft and in a bearing recess of the bearing.
Furthermore, the documents DE 10 2012 016 672 A1, DE 10 2006 036 851 A1 and DE 10 2013 205 129 A1 are known in the prior art.